Customer Reviews

Deluxe Evaporative Cooling Vest (1 vest)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Recently, I took a motorcycle trip from Atlanta, GA to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. Unfortunately, I didn't have the option of riding at night when it was cooler and with my thermometer on the bike showing between 100 and 110, it felt like riding through an oven with a hair dryer set on high blowing in my face. I also didn't have the luxury of air conditioning so to simulate this so I would pour water on my t-shirt and let the wind cool it down.

After getting home, I recalled seeing a demonstration of a cooling vest that you soaked in water for a couple of minutes then wore under a jacket, preferrably mesh. I was amazed at how well it worked in the demo so I went online and ordered one.

The particular model I ordered from Amazon is the Deluxe Evaporative Cooling Vest in black. It came about a week after I ordered it via USPS Priority Mail. They offer several styles and colors, including some that have removable sleeves

The outer shell is quilted black nylon with 2 outside, zippered pockets and a zipper up the front. The neck has a velcro closure so it can fit snuggly around your neck if you want. The inner liner is blue and is 100% Nylon Taslan, a water repellant fabric, so it keeps you from getting all wet wearing it. Out of the package, it weighs just a few ounces but when you put it in water, the special material, called Polymer Embedded Fabric (PEF), between the inner and outer shells absorbs water and the vest ends up weighing about 2-3 lbs. You only need to soak it for about a minute. There are spandex panels on either side that allow for some for expansion. I got the Large size and it fits great, not too tight, not too loose.

Once the water is absorbed, the instructions (on the tag in the vest) say you can wring it out or use a towel to blot the inner liner dry. Not being like a sponge, wringing it doesn't do a lot of good so I'd suggest blotting if you need to. While the inner liner is water repellant, there might be some water on it right after you soak it so putting it on might get you a little wet but if you don't soak it too long, the inner liner will be relatively dry. The material that holds the water doesn't expand like a sponge, it just holds lots of water...it's pretty interesting stuff.

The first thing you'll notice after a few seconds is that it's cool to the touch. The principle of it relies on the cooling properties of water as it evaporates and it really works. I haven't had a chance to ride with it in sweltering heat yet, but putting it on under my mesh jacket and riding without a windshield kept me nice and cool. I don't think I'd like to try it in anything less than about 65 deg (F) because I'd probably freeze nor would I want to use it under a leather jacket unless there was some way for the jacket to let wind flow through it. The inner liner stays pretty dry but you might get a little damp. The cooling effect will last several hours depending on how long you soak it and if you want to put things in the front pockets, they are lined with the same material as the inner liner so they'll stay relatively dry. One thing I've found though, it'll take several days to completely dry out unless you ride with it. The water is very slow to evaporate but once it does, the weight goes back down to a few ounces.

Bottom line, I HIGHLY recommend getting one of these if you routinely ride in hot weather. They're an inexpensive way to keep cool and they're stylish (except for the hi-vis lime green). Wear it under a mesh jacket and you won't know it's hot outside.

This is one of the best products I've purchased for comfort on my bike. I have ridden in 100+ degree days with this vest on under my jacket and it feels like I have air conditioning. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to keep cool.

It is light weight and thin even when soaked. It says to soak and then pat down with a towel. I have found that I don't need to pat it down. Put it on wet and the cool feelings last for about 2-3 hours depending on the heat and humidity.

I recently got home to New England after a 12,550-mile motorcycle ride. The vest didn't work for me. It just made me feel soggy, not much cooling effect at all. After the vest was soaked in water the fabric felt slimy. The vendor told me that was something they had seen before from this manufacturer, in defective lots. They were happy to give me a refund, no trouble, even though I had bought the vest more than 90 days earlier.

If you have an illness like MS or Sjogrens syndrome and are heat intolerant, this vest could prevent serious consequences of getting stuck out in hot weather. I keep mine with me in this sweltering Virginia summer heat. A soft cooler bag and a gallon of drinking water are all you need to save yourself from heat stroke if your car breaks down or some other catastrophe leaves you stuck out in the heat. This vest has also allowed me to be outdoors again, which I love, no matter how hot it is. We boat on the Chesapeake and I love to wander around Oxford, St. Michaels and all those other wonderful places. Without this vest, I would be stuck inside in the air-conditioning all summer. It may look goofy to be walking around in a zipped up quilted vest in the summer, but who cares.

Shipping was fast and it arrived faster than even the estimated shipping time frame. I normally wear medium to large, depending on the item, and ordered this in x-large to be safe since the warning was that they run small. I probably could have gone with a large as the x-large fits a little loose, but not too bad. I soaked it for a minute the next morning, squeezed excess out and then blotted with a towel. After about a 40 mile trip under my mesh jacket my t-shirt was very damp. I was expecting it to be "not dry" but not as damp as it was. Nonetheless, the vest works as advertised and I felt cool under my jacket. The feeling was similar to having wet my t-shirt, wringing it and putting it on. Not what I expected, but comfortable in the 90+ degree weather.

Bottom line is, I didn't really know what to expect except for the reviews and advertising, formed my own opinion and it wasn't quite what my expectations were. In spite of that, it's well worth the money and is definitely better than riding without. 5 stars.

I took the vest to walk the Strip in Las Vegas. It did the job very well. It DOES have a tendency to get my clothing wet, particularly at the bottom of the vest (especially if I'm indoors and/or squatting down) so it's good to get out as much water as you can before putting it on. It's hard to know what size is for you since there's no reference scale. I had some extra slack around my abdomen so it protruded there under my shirt -- almost looks like I'm concealing something. Only takes a couple minutes to prepare or re-soak. I've never tried it on the outside of my shirt, only underneath against my skin. Pretty much kept me cool for 4-5 hours.

Product was delivered about 3 weeks before the projected delivery date. The vest seems to meet my needs(motorcycle riding in Texas Summer 100+ degrees) I would recommend this product and vendor. After not using it for a while(when the vest is completely dry), I put it in a 1 Gallon Ziplock Freezer bag with 1 liter of water, put that in the refrigerator for about a day or two. Be sure to take it out of the refrigerator for a while before you put it on, or you will be very cold. cs

I have been working in a very hot and humid building with no Air Conditioning. I put the vest to the test and it worked great. I would recommend this to everyone.

This is what you need if your on the paver or on the road in the middle of a street and need some releif must have

It does what it is meant to do and keeps me alot cooler. The only problem is that in this Taxas heat I can ride 2 horses so 1 hour and a half before
I need to soak it again. However it is better then riding without